Malevolent Slumber
by My Final Death
Summary: As Link approached the alter on which the most beautiful woman he ever saw was sleeping, he bent over and pressed his lips against hers. Upon the meeting of their lips, she wakes up and cries out "No!" and in a blinding flash of light ancient evil is free
1. In Which A Hero Sets Out

**Malevolent Slumber**

**_By: My Final Death_**

**AN: My inspiration for this story came from one of my dearest online friends. I jokingly asked him to tell me a bed time story, and to my astonishment, he complied without realizing I was simply joking. He told me a story of a Viennese boy who moved to America and began to have dreams of the beautiful and lush forests of his homeland. Upon returning as a much accomplished doctor, he came across the forest of his dreams and decided to explore it in his spare time. While he was exploring he came across a clearing and there in the middle of the forest was a beautiful woman who was in a deep sleep upon a soft blanket of grass. Awed by her beauty, he stepped forth and kissed her on the lips causing her to awaken. They fell in love and lived happily ever after from thence forth.**

This story takes a setting in the OoT world, but by no means does this mean that I won't include characters from other stories. I would say also that this is an alternative universe type story, but aren't all Zelda games like that? I mean, Link is amazing, but he can't possibly be expected to do so many adventures )

Yes, this chapter is a bit slow. In most ways it's just sort of an introduction. Yes, it is the last time you'll see Saria.. XD And have no worries... although this story mostly seems like an adventure, it is in all ways a romantic comedy... in other words, yes, Zelda and Link will end up happily ever after. )

I will try to update as often as I can. I'd say at least look for an update every week.

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, and I do not write this for profit or fame (I doubt it'd get me either anyways!). This is merely just where my imagination has taken me.**

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**Chapter 1**

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**In Which A Hero Sets Out**

"Link! Please be careful!"

The words were called out by young girl that seemed to be nearing her teen years. Her hair was cut short around her face in a hair style that wouldn't avert any eyes, but the color was definitely an attention grabber. Each strand of her hair was a different shade of a bright and brilliant green as if they were all leaves of different trees of the forest. Her eyes, which tears were beginning to brim, were also of the same coloring. Her clothing was simple and seemed to be composed of mostly earthly colors. Floating above her, yet not too far away, was also a fairy with a yellow glow around it that tinkered softly with each movement it made, but its actual shape couldn't be seen since its wings created such a flurry to keep itself in the air.

The girl was surrounded by other children that all seemed to be around her same age. Each of them had similar characteristics and a fairy of their own that varied in different glows. Each of them had a frown stretched across their faces, and some of them were having to wipe their own tears away. Link had been like a brother to them and it was a very tough ordeal for them to have to part with someone they considered their own, for it was not something that happened often at all. In fact, neither of these children-like people had ever experienced having to say goodbye in their lifetime and they weren't quite sure how to cope with it.

The man named Link, who was considerably older (having just reached manhood) in appearances, turned and smiled sadly. His appearances were similar in that he wore the same type of clothing, but he had bright blonde hair and extended ears that protruded out of his medium length locks. His eyes were a vibrant blue and unlike the girl and the others, he had no fairy that hovered around his shoulders. It was because of these differences that Link had decided two weeks ago that it was time for him to leave the people of the Kokiri forest. In truth, he was the only living being in the 

forest that appeared to be over the age of twelve, even though the lives of each of the children-like people have probably expanded over hundreds of years. They were a secluded people who only ever heard rumors on the whispers of wind and through animals of an outside world.

As Link had grown with them, they told him of how he came to be with them although they could not tell him from whence he came. All they knew was that one day a woman who was half dead was found on the floor of the forest carrying a bundle in her arms. A skullchild, a forest inhabitant that had probably been a Kokiri child once in its life time, alerted the others of her presence. If she had any words for them, she could not speak them. She died there in front of them as they watched with strange expressions as her spirit was lifted from her body, which disappeared into the ground of the forest. The bundle was all that was left, and curiously the Kokiri children unwrapped it to find a baby within the folds. As kind hearted people they took the child in and raised it to the best of their abilities, and although no fairy ever came for him, they loved him as if they were one of their own.

The only clue to Link as to where he came from was in his dreams as he slept at night. He often had dreams of a large castle that seemed to have been destroyed a long time ago and long since abandoned. The earth had already begun to grow around it, and vines grew through every crack of the foundation. The only thing noticeable that stood out to him was a large symbol of a triangle wedged into the stones that didn't have the wear and tear of time that the other man-made objects had. The triangle was set in the mouth of a stone carved phoenix and was split into 3 separate triangles with a fourth upside down triangle cut out from the middle. The phoenix lay broken into pieces in the middle of what might have been a fountain in the middle of all of the ruins.

The only other significant part of the dream was the quiet sobs of a woman that couldn't be seen that carried on the wailing of the wind. Link would call out for her, but she never responded to his voice. The only thing she ever said in between sobs was, "Fallen, fallen… Hyrule has fallen, and I have failed."

When he told the rest of the Kokiri children about this dream, they looked at him with thoughtfully and began their own search for him. They kept their ears out for news and listened to the wind, and searched with their eyes for any clues in the forest they lived in. Their fairies also helped by talking to the animals who have explored the world such as the owls and wolves. Neither of them could ever find news of this Hyrule, apparently it was either fictitious or it had long since been forgotten. It was only until the fairy of what was considered the oldest Kokiri child, Saria, finally heard the information from a very wise owl that Hyrule was no more, yet, far away in the lands of the North past the borders of their forest was where it had once been a proud kingdom.

The Kokiri stopped their search there because it was forbidden for them to leave the forest; if one child ever stepped a foot outside of the shadows of the forest he would surely die. None of them had ever even had the desire to do so, for what was life to them without their beloved tree stump homes and the whispers of the forest? But Link's heart was different. He had always harbored the secret desire to explore outside the woods and to be among his own kind. He could not hear the whispers, and he couldn't make heads or tails as to what a fairy said – it all sounded like the tinkling of tiny bells to him. His heart also told him that he didn't belong on the Kokiri forest, and that he would only be able to find his purpose by finding out where he came from.

So it was inevitable that he had made the decision to leave, although the Kokiri children could not understand it. As he sadly smiled at them, Link came to this realization and so even though he knew 

that the next words that came out of his lips might never come true and that he was in essence lying (another thing that Kokiri children were different in – they couldn't lie, nor even comprehend why someone would want to): "I will be back, everyone. I don't know when, but we will see each other again… soon."

What he had hoped to accomplish seemed to have worked. Their frowns became a little less apparent , and a few of them were able to dry their tears. The girl who had initially told him to be careful, Saria, walked up to Link and solemnly said, "Hold out your hand."

Link nodded and held out his hand. Saria brought her arms out from behind her and placed a small wooden and oval object in his hands. He looked down and his eyes widened a little in his surprise. "Saria… your ocarina! But… without this you won't be able to play to the birds in your favorite place, and-"

"I can make another one. I want you to have this. Every time you… play it, if you think of me… " she smiled, "well, we'll be able to feel each other and you won't ever have to be lonely!" She closed his fingers around the object and pressed his hand back towards his body. "And I'm positive that if I do the same, I'll be able to feel you as long as you keep this close to your heart."

Link honestly wasn't sure if it'd work or not, but it touched his heart none-the-less. He tightened his grip around it and placed it against the place in his chest where his heart would be. "I'll play it every night then." He gave her a rather boyish grin.

Saria's reserve broke and she lunged forward and wrapped her arms around him. After placing a foot back to catch his own balance, he slowly hugged her back and stroked the top of her head like a father might do to comfort a child. Her apparent sadness tugged at the strings his heart and it was all he could do to keep from the tears welling up in his own eyes.

Seeing Saria's self-restraint break had a domino effect on every other child, and they all rushed forward to hug Link as well. They all cried out, "We'll miss you! We love you!" and once they had all had their goodbyes out of the way, they watched Link go as he crossed over the bridge that separated the inner forest from the outer forest (which no Kokiri child dared to go, even if it was still classified as the the forest itself).

That was the last the Kokiri children ever saw of Link, and the beginning of a marvelous adventure for him.


	2. In Which The Hero Meets A Fairy

**Malevolent Slumber**

**By: My Final Death**

**AN: (/)/ I want to thank everyone who read my first chapter! Your reward for checking back on my story is getting to read yet a second chapter. (b ' w ' )d However, before we start I want to get a few things out of the way.**

**Hououza – Thank you so much for your kind words ('')I absolutely love the OoT story line and it pleased the very core of my being that they kept some of the story line elements for their later releases. I only hope I won't disappoint!**

**Sakurelle – (; ;) Grammatical errors indeed! I'll have to go back and fix it (xX) It's definitely something I will have to improve upon... thank you for your kind words as well.**

**If you see a (#) at the end of a sentence, it is merely a marker for a foot note. Scroll down to the end of the chapter if you want to read it. Otherwise, it's just extra information that takes up a lot of space. XD**

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Chapter 2

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In Which The Hero Meets A Fairy

The children had taught Link long ago that there were two sides of the Kokiri forest, and while it was allowed to go to the outer forest it certainly wasn't advised. The main problem was that the further away you went from the heart of any living, magical, and breathing place such as the Kokiri forest (not that there were many other places that could claim to have the same attributes), the magic became weaker and things tend to become less connected to each other. Thus came the conclusion that if a Kokiri child became disconnected with the Kokiri forest itself, then they would cease to be. For these reasons alone, no one ever ventured to the outer forest – including Link.With that in consideration, it was more than understandable that as he crossed the bridge he began to feel a heavy knot grow in the very pit of his stomach. Uncertainty, doubt, anxiety… he sucked in the left side of his cheek and bit his teeth down against the flesh in a determined grunt.

As soon as the ball of his foot rolled onto the blanket of dead leaves and twigs that lined the floor of the forest Link had the sudden impression that he was in a completely different place. Hell, he might have even been in a completely different time era for all he could make of his senses. He looked up towards the branches of the trees, and for the first time in his life he had to shield his eyes from brightness of the noon-time sun.

The trees on this side of the forest were much more spread apart which allowed much more sunlight through. In all probability these trees were probably the exact same as the trees on the other side, but the leaves that stuck out from these branches also came in colors of bright red and orange. Link suspected that this was probably from overexposure to the sun, and that the very tops of all trees were 

probably completely red and orange in both places. Along with these differences were also the variations and deviant species of vegetation that grew with the help of extra sunlight.

Another thing Link noticed as he began to make his way through was that even the animals seemed to act differently to his presence. Even though they had the same shapes and same movements, their eyes were dull and seemed to lack an inner sparkle that contained secrets of the forest (1). Their blunt gazes seemed to follow him, but not at all in a welcoming fashion. In fact, they felt rather resentful to him that he should have the audacity to walk in their forest and dare cross beyond marked territories without so much as even an acknowledgement that he had done so. He felt their negative feelings toward him almost as strongly as if they were poking daggers into his back, and so he did his best to avoid them (which was most impossible, since they were everywhere).

But this was just a minor observation made on his part. The biggest thing the young man noticed was a change in the physiological aspects of his body. He couldn't describe it, but it was almost as if he could feel that his body was suddenly maturing much faster than it had been. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling, but all the same, he had enough things to deal with already that were out of the norm (2).

Approximately after two hours of wandering around, it began to dawn on Link that he had absolutely no means as to tell where he actually was. In fact, if he were honest with himself, he would have realized that he was completely lost without any clue as to what he should be looking for as a guide. Saria had always told him to follow the music of the forest, but what was he to do when he was so far away that he wouldn't even be able to hear it? But even if he had known how to communicate with the animals of the woods it was more than likely that they would not have been as hospitable to him as to actually give him directions. The only directions they would give him would lead him straight into the belly of some very unpleasant creature.

He groaned loudly and frowned. He kept walking, but he couldn't help but thinking the nagging thought of, "Well, this wasn't how I imagined things at all!"

Slowly the sun began to slip behind the trees, and the only light he had to guide his path was shimmering and blinding him through the trunks of the trees. Fatigue was beginning to set in and his legs were beginning to feel very heavy as if they were made of lead. This in itself wasn't so bad, but on an uneven ground consisting of the roots of unfriendly trees who wanted nothing more than something to laugh at, it became down-right disastrous. As his feet began to drag, his toe would catch onto a root that had oh-so-conveniently decided to move upwards, and before he knew it he was face down in the hard and cruel floor of the forest. It wasn't long before cuts and scratches began to mark the fair skin on his cheeks.

Of course, there was only so much he could handle, and so he finally stopped after a while and looked around helplessly at his surroundings. It all looked the same to him. It all looked… the same… he clenched his fists and looked down at his feet as the frustration began to build up inside of him.

"IT ALL LOOKS THE SAME!"

He fell backwards on to his bottom and leaned his back against a bark of a tree that was probably too deep in its own sleep to be much concerned with outside matters. With a hope that things would look better in the light of a fresh morning, he closed his eyes and tried to relax. After all, if he couldn't see where he was going what was the use to keep walking? Although he had at least hoped that he would have found some safe shelter…

Link was woken by the feeling of a soft fluttery feeling that grazed the side of his cheek. The action itself probably wasn't what woke him, but rather the familiarity of it. His eyes shot open to be faced with a soft, warm light that stayed afloat within a inches away from his face. As he vaguely heard the soft tinkering, his brain finally caught up and let out a whoop in excitement. "Where's your charge!" he cried out excitedly, looking around for the Kokiri child that accompanied the fairy (although this was useless since this was a particularly dark night and he could not see a thing).

The fairy reacted strangely to this and almost as if it had taken offense, its motions began to become very agitated and the volume of its tinkering dramatically increased.

"… I can't see them! Are they close by?"

This only intensified the reaction and in its attempt to try to deliver its message to Link of its most apparent agitation, the fairy tugged very hardly on a lock of Link's hair with each tinker.

"OW! Ow, ow! Ok, ok… So you're alone. Take it easy, you know I can't understand your language." He waved his hand at it to shoo it away from his hair, and attempted to rub the sting away from his scalp.

The fairy tinkered once, which Link accurately translated as the question of why.

"Well… I wasn't exactly born of the forest. I suppose a fairy never saw fit to look after me because of that, or maybe they just didn't have the ability." He shrugged to emphasize the fact that he was rather clueless to the whole situation. One could have argued that if he had been around fairies so long he would have been able to understand them by now, but fairies were generally considered 'personal' and they usually communicated to their respective child any wishes they had.

The fairy emitted a noise that came out more as a disapproving, "Tut!"  
Link sighed. "I know." He stared at the scratched skin that had once been the top of his knees (he could of sworn the last branch he tripped over had done a rather complete job of making sure he didn't have any skin left on them) as if in thought. After a few seconds of silence between both of them, Link asked the fairy in a most humble voice, "I'm trying to get out of the Kokiri forest, but I honestly don't know which way to go. I don't know how I would be able to repay you, I don't exactly know what fairies like… But if you could help me…"

The fairy flew back a few inches as if taken back by this request. Obviously it had never received a plea of help before. It began to pace back and forth, tinkering quietly as if it were talking to itself.

"Of course, if a beautiful fairy such as yourself isn't able to-"

That had been the deciding factor, for this fairy was a particularly prideful fairy. If there were any doubt in something's mind that this fairy was not up to the task that any other fairy could do, then it could just think again.

The fairy rushed at Link with such a suddenness that he actually recoiled backwards (and unfortunately he smacked the back of his head against the tree in doing so!) in shock. In a blink of an eye the fairy was hovering at the shell of his ear, and blowing softly little bits of 'dust' into his ear. This caused a rather unpleasant itch, and instinctively Link reached up with his index finger and dug it into the canal of his ear to itch away the sensation.

"Stop, _stop, STOP_! You'll ruin it!" screamed a shrill voice.

"Huh?" He looked up at the fairy, with widened eyes. Could he have possibly just heard his first fairy speak to him in words he could understand?

"You dummy! But that's what you mortal beings like to do, isn't it? You like to receive gifts, and as soon as you get them, you like to RUIN them…" she kept going on, but Link only caught bits and pieces of it because while he could hear her actually speaking the words, the tinkering sound effect still happened in the background and overlapped some of the syllables.

"You mean I can understand you now? Does this… " he thought for a second, but before he could say what he meant, the fairy answered for him.

"Yes, you can understand me now. No, I'm not your fairy. And why would I want to be?" She paused for a moment, but decided better of giving him room to speak up for his self and kept on going. "I've given you gift for one reason: so you can understand me. Not so we can have fun little chatty-chats. You asked me to help you through the forest. Alright, I accept, but on this one condition: you must take me to places I've never seen before." If Link could have seen past the flurry of her wings, he would have been able to see that she had crossed her arms and gazed at him in a most arrogant manner.

The fairy flew up to him just in front of his face. "So, what will it be? You can stay here and wander around lost forever in the pathetic state that I've found in you in, or you can take me with you and have a most competent guide to the world that you seem to be painfully unaware of."

He thought about this for a moment, but he really didn't need time to think. His mind was already made up for him, and a big grin played across his face. Even if this fairy seemed particularly bossy and rude, he would gladly accept her help. And after all, her company would definitely be of more use to him than the unfriendly silence of the woods and wherever else his venture might take him. "Alright, you're on. My name is Link, what's yours?"

"Tatl, and don't you forget it either!"

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_**Footnote #1** – Animals closer to the heart of the forest are closely connected with the Kokiri children as well as their surroundings, and therefore are more opening and very warm to their company. Because their also more in tune with their magical surroundings, they themselves may even begin to learn a bit of magic such as being able to conceal themselves completely in their surroundings._

_**Footnote #2** – The Kokiri children are immortal because part of the magic of the inner part of the forest is that time moves almost at a standstill, and because they are the offspring of the oldest living trees of the forest. The stillness of magic has even affected Link since he lived there for so long, and it is in all likely that even though he only appears to be sixteen or seventeen that he's actually lived for well over a hundred years already (although it certainly does not seem so long to him his self). So it is only naturally that once he gets away from this stillness of magic that his body would begin to start going back to its normal speed of aging. For Kokiri children, whose growth is MUCH more stunted if not changing at all, the sudden transition would make them feel as if their bodies were beginning to decay around them thus resulting in the feeling that they're dying (which they are doing… but they wouldn't actually die for a very, very long time)._


	3. In Which Cows Are Concerned

Malevolent Slumber

By: My Final Death

**AN: () I'm starting to really get into writing again! It feels so good to be doing this again! :D One day I hope to make my own story with original characters, but that seems like a lot of work. XD I read over some of my old stories I have posted on here… I couldn't help but cringe with each sentence on some of them… One day I'll have to go back and either erase them or fix them up, LOL. **

**Hououza – I thought about using Navi too! But I always found Tatl more enjoyable ) **

**Sakurelle – Quick updates are what I do best. XD **

**By all means let me know what you think of my story! I can't tell you how good it feels for most writers to see someone actually see someone leave reviews on their works of fiction. So if you appreciate a story, be sure you let them know. Include your criticisms, I consider them compliments (after all, you liked the story enough to try to help me fix it!). )**

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Chapter 3

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In Which Cows Are Concerned

Tatl stayed with Link all through the night and slept snuggly on top of his shoulder and curled up to his neck. He, of course, had no idea this had taken place for when he had fell asleep she was still fluttering about nervously as if something were weighing heavily on her mind. However, whenever he tried to get her to tell him whatever the matter was, she snapped at him to mind his own business and stayed still until he stopped paying attention to her.

As soon as the first rays of sunlight began to shine through the trees, Tatl made sure that not a second of Link's time was wasted on much needed sleep. Standing up on his shoulder, she tugged on one lock of his bangs that hung down to his chin. When he gave no reaction, she persisted in tugging yet harder. Her efforts were rewarded with an annoyed swat of his hand. Tatl avoided it by simply jumping up into the air and staying afloat. "GET UP YOU LAZY ASS!" she shouted irritably, and sunk her teeth down into the shell of his ear.

It would have been an understatement to say that this gave a desired response.

With amazing agility, Link made a tumbled roll forward before standing up to full height with both of his fists clenched into balls and rearing to go. Tatl had almost immediately lost her group and was flung outwards in a spinning motion. After realizing that there wasn't any great threat, or even anything the least bit menacing within sight, he relaxed his shoulders with a sigh. He raised his hand up to his hear to rub away the stinging sensation and was shocked to feel the tips of his fingers come in contact with a liquid substance. He brought his hand to his face, and to his dismay, realized that the stuff that was smeared across his fingertips was blood. His blood.

"I'm bleeding!"

Tatl, who had just regained her composure again, sighed and made a shrugging motion. "Don't tell me you're going to cry about it."

Far from it. But Link was more than curious about as to why he was wounded. "How'd I get cut?"

Tatl snickered. "Well, if you fall asleep under a tree there's a high possibility that a bug will fall on you. And most bugs like to bite fleshy things." She failed to mention that this wasn't actually what happened, but she decided that it'd probably be better if he were left to figure this one out on his own. In fact, she thought this was a rather opportune moment to make a change of subjects. "We should be able to find shelter before night fall if we begin our search immediately, but our safety until then might be in jeopardy. Do you have any way of fighting off predators?"

Link tilted his head to the side. "Predators?"

Tatl sighed. "Don't you have some weapon of some sort?"

Link shook his head no, but he pulled out an object from underneath his belt loop and held it up for the fairy to see. "But I have this?" Upon inspection it was nothing more than a simply made sling shot.

"… A pebble shooter…" Tatl scratched her head a in a clueless fashion. "That's pathetic! What were you planning to do if some monster just attacks you for the pure joy of being a bully!?"

"Well I honestly didn't think about that." In truth, poor Link would have never thought that another creature was capable of attacking another unless it was absolutely necessary.

"…"

Tatl started to float off away from him, clearly having enough of this conversation. Without needing an invitation (although he sincerely wished she would have given him one) Link followed reluctantly. He felt slightly bad that he himself hadn't thought of these things before leaving, but at the same time he was most undeniably grateful to the sassy fairy. However, they didn't get very far until they encountered their first problem.

Link's stomach let out a rather loud and ferocious growl.

Tatl stopped for a moment, and asked inquiringly, "Is that what I think it was?"  
He placed a hand over his stomach and rubbed it soothingly. "I'm afraid so. I haven't eaten since yesterday."

And so they had their first pit stop of the day once the fairy guide had found a bush filled with berries that she knew to be edible. Link practically threw himself on the ground and with complete abandonment began to stuff his cheeks with every berry he could get his index finger and thumb around. The only sound that could be heard was the slight tinkering of Tatl's movements, and the mushy sound of berries being smashed and gnashed in between Link's teeth. The evidence could be seen dribbling out the left side of his mouth and down his chin.

"Ugh… couldn't you be a little less disgusting?" Tatl had picked one berry that was big enough to sustain her tiny body and was sitting atop a limb on a juxtaposed bush. She was ever-so-daintily tearing off the skin with her fingers and eating the raw material of the berry.

"Mmsowwym," was the only understandable word that came out of his lips. He swallowed the gulp he was currently working on and wiped the dribble away from his chin. He looked up at the fairy and was mildly surprised to find that he could actually see the figure of her body. "I can see you!" Her very thin and frail body seemed to mimic that of a very young girl with long hair.

Tatl blushed, and immediately jumped into the air so that her body was concealed again by the fluttering of her wings. "Why thank you, Mr. Tact. Don't you know that you're not supposed to look at an exposed lady!?"

"It's just that it's the first time I've ever seen a fairy like that. It won't happen again, don't worry, I won't look." He smiled and nodded as if to reinforce his promise.

Despite his reassurances, Tatl refused to sit back down and be at rest for the remainder of their meal. Naturally she finished long before he did, and when he had finally had his fill they set off again. With extra care to no go faster than poor Link could handle, she lead him through the forest and he faithfully followed. Within a matter of hours they finally reached the final tree line of the Kokiri forest and were faced with a vast field that seemed to stretch on for hours.

Link looked positively overcome with the thrill of adventure. He balled his fists up and brought them in close to his chest in a swift motion as he let out a loud whoop. "I can't believe it! It looks so big!"

Tatl, not quite understanding that he was referring to the vastness of the world, commented rather irritably, "Not as big as your thickness. This is where it gets tough, kiddo, so listen up."

Link nodded and looked at her with rather large and attentive eyes.

"The Kokiri forest was a cake-walk, but this is the real world that you have no idea about. Walking a whole day in the forest isn't that much bothersome because you have the shade of the trees and the assurance that some form of food is available. In a vast field this isn't the case, especially when the sun is so high in the sky like this. This is where your endurance will be tested, so you have to be strong!"

He looked down thoughtfully and bit the tip of his fingertip. It all sounded a good bit tougher now that she had put it in such a harsh light. Suddenly the vastness of the field didn't become something to awe about, but rather, something to dread. "So our first priority is to find a place to stay the night!"

"Right! You're starting to get it now." She made a backwards loop in the air in a rather exited manner as she said this.

He clasped left fist into his right hand and shook it up and down with a rather determined look. "Let's do it!"

--

It was during the first hours of the night that Link and Tatl (actually, Link couldn't see at all but Tatl had perfect vision whether it be night or day) actually were able to distinguish a dark shape in the distance that looked promising.

Both of them were beginning to feel the pangs of hunger as well as extremely thirsty. Link could have sworn that the back of his throat had been rubbed raw from the back of his tongue. And they were both terribly exhausted. Tatl even had to take to sitting on Link's shoulder (after many promises he wouldn't dare look!) to keep herself from falling out of the sky. However, the prospect of knowing they were finally coming across something during all of their travels prompted Link's legs to hold out just a little bit longer.

As they approached it looked more and more like a rather large ranch with a few small buildings that were lit up. Since Link had no idea what a ranch was, Tatl had to explain to him in very plain terms 

that it was a place where animals were kept to be fattened up. When he inquired why anyone would want to waste their time doing that, even Tatl couldn't come up with her own answer. She made some derogatory comment about stupid mortals, and refused to say anymore on the subject other than he should hurry up so they could finally get some rest.

Luckily for Link, whoever had owned the ranch had only made a half-hearted attempt to shut the gate to the ranch off from the road. With ease (through Tatl's instructions) he was able to sneak onto the property. Although he felt it would have been rather appropriate to alert the people in the small quaint houses of his arrival, the fairy very firmly told him that it would NOT be in his best interest. After convincing him that if he did no harm to the live stock that the ranch owners wouldn't care that he had been there (and that it'd be quite inappropriate to knock on any doors this late at night), he snuck into a rather large looking building where all the animals seemed to be contained. After all, if the animals were safe enough to sleep in there, certainly he would be too.

Link was absolutely amazed at not only how large the animals were, but how funny they looked. The first thing he did when he saw a rather large animal covered all over in black and white spots was point his finger and burst out laughing. "Oh man, I've never seen anything look that way in my life! What is it, Tatl?"

The fairy rubbed her chin, and said in a very sagely voice, "That is what normal people call a cow. A very helpful animal, because it feeds people."

"Really?"

Although there was a moment of silence that occurred between the two, they both were thinking the exact same thought. Link was simply the first one to voice it.

"So. Can it feed us?" His stomach made another loud growl, as if it wished to know the answer as well.

"Well, I can't call myself an expert on cows, but I believe the way it feeds you is if you get underneath it and suck those pink things hanging from its underbelly. I've heard that they produce the milk of life!" Tatl had indeed heard that phrase before, but it had simply been a rather silly advertisement for Lon Lon Ranch milk. Of course, being only a fairy, she honestly had no idea that the advertisement had been an extreme over exaggeration.

"Do think it would it mind?" Link's mouth was starting to water. The more he thought about it, the more he liked the sound of the 'milk of life'.

"I SUPPOSE I could try talking to it. Give me a sec."

Tatl flew off of his shoulder and floated a rather depressed looking cow. In her most diplomatic and pleading voice, she began to beg the cow to give her and the stupid looking mortal a chance to suckle on its teats. When she had finished, she bowed her head most respectfully and awaited the response.

"Mrrrrrrrrroooooooooooooooooooo."

"I beg your pardon?" She looked up and furrowed her eyebrows together.

The cow stared back, clearly confused by the strange blob of light that appeared before it.

What poor Tatl failed to realize was that a cow was one of the most mundane and domestic of all creatures. Therefore, it wouldn't have been able to recognize magic even if it were literally right in front of it, much less understand it. To the cow, she was just a oddity that would soon be forgotten as soon as she flew out of sight.

Link looked at her expectantly. "Well? What'd the cow say?"

"Um…" Tatl scratched her head. "… She said we're allowed!" A complete fabrication.

But Link took this as absolute truth and without reserve walked next to the cow and placed his hand on the back. "Many thanks to you, producer of the 'milk of life'!"

The cow merely looked back at him wearily, wondering dully what this silly person was up to and how soon he'd go away. Much to the dismay of the poor beast of burden, he stooped down underneath her belly. Then the cow's eyes widened with panic as she saw Link's mouth attach to her teat and felt him suckling on her. "MROOOOOOOO!" The cow kicked the back of the wall and began to rear up in an attempt to stomp on top of the offending person.

"LINK! Move!" came Tatl's shrill voice.

Reacting to her voice, Link rolled out of the way and scooted backwards in a crab position away from the cow. "What's wrong!? Why is it reacting like that?" His voice had an edge of panic to it. He had never seen any animal react in such away with such intensity.

"You idiot, you obviously did something wrong!" cried the fairy.

And then a stranger's voice belonging to a very stout and angry looking man came out of nowhere replying to Link's question, "I'd say some fool decided to disturb my livestock, but that's just my opinion."

Link looked to his left towards the entrance of the stable barn door, and felt his blood run cold. Not only was did this man look rather unpleased with the cow's response, but he carried a very menacing looking weapon in his right hand that very much resembled a bow that he had watched one of the Kokiri child make once (later he would find out that this particular weapon was called a cross bow). And it was pointed directly at him.

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**I wrote rather a lot, so I'm afraid that'll be all for at least a few more days ) Remember, let me know what you think!**


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